New research from South Australia has shown that there is more than hearsay to the notion that ginger helps to stop nausea in pregnancy. A recent trial of ginger as a treatment for nausea and vomiting during pregnancy has found that a dose of 1g of ginger a day does help to calm nausea and vomiting. The trial compared the effectiveness of ginger and vitamin B-6, a commonly recommended treatment for nausea in the first few months of pregnancy. The study involved 291 women less than 16 weeks pregnant with 146 women taking daily doses of ginger and 145 taking 75 mg of vitamin B-6 daily.

“This is the third clinical trial showing ginger’s positive benefits for pregnant women who suffer nausea,” said researcher Caroline Smith. “The women in our trial taking the ginger supplement reported a 53% reduction in nausea and vomiting. Those on vitamin B-6 reported a 55% reduction in symptoms. No side effects were associated with the use of either supplement. What this means for women with nausea in pregnancy is that they have another choice of treatment.”

Smith reminds women to ensure their doctors know what treatments they are taking.

Source: University of South Australia, Apr 2, 2004